"Obama can probably resist as long as the Pentagon remains utterly opposed to putting its military toe into Syria!"

"...Make no mistake, Mr. Obama is being pushed and pulled into a confrontation with Iran. It’s hard to imagine a compromise acceptable to Israel and thus to the U.S. And without that, it’s very likely Israel will attack before the U.S. presidential elections. If Israel does strike, Mr. Obama is almost bound to take some action on its behalf. So the risks are high here.

With Syria, it’s possible that former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Anan will work a miracle ceasefire between al-Assad and the rebels. But if it happens, it’s not likely to last. With no viable political compromise in sight, the Obama team will find it increasingly hard to justify a policy of restraint. After all, they didn’t hold back when it came to humanitarian intervention against Col. Muammar Gaddafi, and he was killing far fewer  rebels than al-Assad is. Conservatives and neoconservatives are trumpeting this issue as another example of Mr. Obama’s lack of leadership. But the president can probably resist as long as the Pentagon remains utterly opposed to putting its military toe into Syria’s unpredictable and dangerous civil war. Still, don’t discount temptations building for the U.S. to supply arms and intelligence, as starters, to appease American conservatives who see Syria as a grand opportunity to give Iran, Syria’s closest ally, a body blow. ..."